Brendon, our mission webmaster, was attacked and stabbed from behind 15 times, by two assailants, while he was talking on his cellphone on a platform at Muizenberg Railway Station last week. The person who he was talking with on the phone heard the commotion, phoned the police and Brendon's wife, Felicia. She arrived before the police and transported Brendon to the local hospital where he was rushed into Intensive Care (ICU). Although his injuries were serious and life threatening, he is recovering and is out of ICU, still in hospital, and receiving physiotherapy. Part of his spinal cord was damaged and he has had trouble walking on his left leg. Please pray for complete recovery.

Security Threat

The thieves stole all of his personal belongings, including wallet, keys and cellphone. To maintain security, our locks and codes were immediately changed. As the thieves attempted to use his cards and cellphone to access accounts and the computer network, we suspect that they were part of a crime syndicate.

In the last five years over 1,000 churches have been attacked, destroyed or badly damaged in Northern Nigeria alone. Over 16,000 Christians have been murdered by Boko Haram Islamic terrorists in Northern Nigeria in the last 5 years. Hundreds of Coptic Churches have been fire-bombed and attacked since the so called Arab Spring of 2011. Churches in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan have been bombed by the Sudan Air Force. In Khartoum, Churches and Theological Colleges have been bulldozed by the National Intelligence and Security Services. Churches have been attacked by Muslim militants in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Niger and Cameroon.

Security and Survival Workshops

To assist vulnerable Christians in these threatened areas, Frontline Fellowship is designing Security and Survival Workshops and Manuals. We are developing a comprehensive strategy to help Churches set up security ministries and provide practical, hands-on, training for farmers, families, congregations, missions, ministries, Bible Colleges and vulnerable communities.

As a Mission of Christians from a military background, dedicated to serving persecuted Christians for over 33 years, we have experienced ambushes, attacks, aerial bombardments, rocket and artillery fire, thefts, terrorism, capture and imprisonment. Utilising lessons learned through these experiences, we are offering training for Christians to be able to withstand and resist Islamic terrorist attacks.

Serving the Suffering

For this we need all the help, practical support and intercessory prayer that you can offer. Churches throughout Africa are facing some of the most intense, sustained and violent threats in recent memory. With such a vast amount of Churches being targeted, attacked, looted, burned and bombed in Nigeria, Niger, Egypt, the Nuba Mountains, Sudan, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya and Tanzania, obviously something must done. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the Faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1Timothy 5:8

Soft Targets Need to be Hardened

The Jihadists have had an open playing field with no other team on the field to prevent them scoring endless goals. Churches are seen as soft and easy targets for terrorism. And it is not only Churches. Farmers in South Africa are facing ongoing terror attacks.“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.” Nehemiah 4:14

Please Pray for the Watsons

After completing the five month Congo Overland Mission, our Missionaries Michael and Renée Watson, returned via KwaZulu Natal and visited their home. Michael's mother, Anne Watson, who has fought a brave 8 year battle against cancer, joined them on the last leg of their journey back to Cape Town. We all appreciated the joy of Anne Watson's company as she visited Cape Town for 3 weeks. Anne seemed in good health and it was a shock to hear that the day she flew back to Durban, her health began to deteriorate rapidly. Of course, we encouraged Michael and Renée to fly to Durban immediately to be at her side. Anne Watson passed into the presence of the Lord in the early hours of Christmas Day. Family must come first and we encouraged Michael and Renée to stay as long as they needed to help Les Watson with the family farm and grieve for the loss of their beloved mother.

Great Commission Camp

On Monday 29 December, we received another container shipment of 17 tonnes of Bibles and books which we off loaded by hand for our Literature 4 Africa Ministry. That was the 9th container we received in 2014. Immediately after the New Year's Day Outreach we began our Great Commission Camp and Course. 90 people participated in the Great Commission Camp which was held in the mountains, in a forest, near a lake. This was the first phase of our 3 week Great Commission Course. Participants came from as far afield as the USA, Nigeria, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, the Congo and from all over South Africa.

Stretching Minds and Muscles

The Great Commission Course is an intensive, practical introduction to cross-cultural Missions. We take people out of their comfort zone and place them under pressure, introducing participants to some of the stresses and strains of Missions. We stretch minds and muscles and challenge participants to dig deeper, reach further, and persevere longer than they would have thought possible.

Putting Feet To Our Faith

Each morning, except Sundays, began with vigorous PT, devotions and lectures on a wide range of subjects. Afternoons are packed with practicals, workshops, team-building, problem solving, obstacle crossing, or outreaches, in the streets, in townships, taxi ranks, railway stations, in shopping malls, at hospitals, a hospice, Muslim Evangelism, film Evangelism, and one-on-one personal Evangelism.

Day Trips included visiting The Castle, the oldest building in the Southern Hemisphere, where General Charles Gordon was once Commandant, visiting the Andrew Murray Centre and Africa Institute in Wellington, from where Dr Andrew Murray sent out hundreds of Missionaries throughout Africa following the 1860 Revival. There was also interaction with wildlife at the Eagle Encounter and Cheetah Outreach.

Head, Hearts and Hands

Practicals included raft building, water sports, obstacle course, problem solving, team building activities and escape and evasion night hikes. A work party at the KwaSizabantu Mission, Moreson. A prayer vigil and outreach held outside the Marie Stopes Abortuary. Each of the participants had the opportunity to present a testimony, or message, on Salt and Light, on Radio Tygerberg. Several of our participants had the privilege of leading people to Christ on the streets, and in homes, during outreaches. Participants of the GCC presented testimonies and sermons at churches in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and Parklands, in the Southern and Northern suburbs.

Record Breaking Container Off-Loading

After an 8 hour hike up and over Table Mountain, the GCC concluded with off-loading a 20 foot, 17 tonne literature container in a record 2 hours and 25 minutes! These Bibles and books will be distributed throughout Southern Africa.

Commissioning Service

One of the highlights of the Great Commission Camp was a Commissioning Service for our Missionary John Mark Clifford. With Michael and Renée not able to participate in this year's course, many of the responsibilities fell upon John who proved himself a worthy, energetic and flexible Missionary, co-ordinating the many practicals, outreaches and Sunday services.

On 25 January we observed Sanctity Life Sunday. The sermon I presented called Sanctity Life Sunday can be heard on our Sermon Audio.com link.

March for Life

On Monday 2 February we led the March for Life to Parliament in Cape Town. This took the form of a funeral procession led by a hearse. Marchers carried miniature coffins, Christian flags, crosses, flowers and placards. A 6 meter billboard trailer with the words: "Abortion is Murder"and "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves" (Proverbs 31:8)Life begins at conception and "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter." Proverbs 24:11; 1.2 million preborn babies aborted in South Africa since 1997; "Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" Deuteronomy 30:19 accompanied the marchers. After marching past the Castle, City Hall, up Adderley Street, to the gates of Parliament, we laid the coffins, crosses and flowers at the gates of Parliament and conducted a solemn National Day of Repentance Service outside the main gates of Parliament.

Memorial

Steve Swart, Member of Parliament, and member of the Justice Portfolio Committee, told participants of our Prayer Rally that he believes that the abortion legislation will be overturned and that one day there will be a memorial at Parliament to remember the babies killed by abortion.

Regret

Holding a "I regret my Abortion" poster, Melissa Hertz, of 40 Days for Life, testified at the service that she had had an abortion when she was just 14 years old. She spoke passionately against abortion and called on young people to recognise that abortion does not make you un-pregnant, but only the mother of a dead baby.

Perseverance

Taryn Hodgson, the International Co-ordinator of the Christian Action Network, enters her 10th year leading Africa Christian Action. This was the 10th National Day of Repentance, March for Life to Parliament that Taryn has organised. Taryn declared: "Life begins at conception. Abortion is Murder. Every abortion stops a beating heart. We call the nation to prayer and repentance for this national sin of abortion." Taryn is an example of steadfast perseverance and persistence, a pro-life marathon runner who has been an example of keeping on keeping on. We are called to be faithful.

Rescue the Perishing

Following the March for Life, some of us went on to the Marie Stopes Abortuary for a placard protest outside their doors.

"They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people, so that He abhorred His inheritance. And He gave them into the hands of the Gentiles, and those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand." Psalm 106:37-42

South Africa Mission

I have invited to speak at the upcoming Ministers’ Conference at KwaSizabantu Mission 9-11 March. Please pray for this Minister's Conference and for the other mission stations, churches, Bible colleges and schools that I will be ministering at during this upcoming South Africa Mission in March. There are still some ministry openings for my planned missions to Europe and America later this year. If you would like a Frontline Missionary to visit and minister to your church or school please contact us.

Book Projects

Please pray for a number of Book Projects in the pipeline and for the strategic distribution of the Bibles and books that we have been entrusted with.

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, singing with Grace in your heart to theLord."Colossians 3:16

For this we need all the help, practical support and intercessory prayer that you can offer. Churches throughout Africa are facing some of the most intense, sustained and violent threats in recent memory. With such a vast amount of Churches being targeted, attacked, looted, burned and bombed in Nigeria, Niger, Egypt, the Nuba Mountains, Sudan, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya and Tanzania, obviously something must done. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the Faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1Timothy 5:8